At least 170 killed in bombings in Baghdad and Karbala - 2004-03-02

Coordinated suicide bombings in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and the city of Karbala have killed 170 people participating in Ashura ceremonies. Officials in Baghdad report that three suicide bombers killed 58 people near the Kadhimayn shrine. According to reports, a fourth bomber has been arrested. In the holy city of Karbala, a combination of suicide bombers and explosions using remote-controlled devices and mortar fire killed 112 people, while over one million gathered for the ceremonies around the shrine of Imam Hussein and Abbas Mosque. More than 400 others were injured in these two attacks. The Iraqi Transitional Governing Council condemned the attacks as an attempt to create division among the people of Iraq and declared three days of national mourning. Ayatollah Ali Sistani, a prominent Shia cleric in Iraq, and Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, a member of the Governing Council, attributed the attacks to U.S. security policies, stating that the United States, as an occupying force, is responsible for ensuring security. Paul Bremer, the American administrator in Iraq, promised to bring those responsible for the explosions to justice. The White House also strongly condemned the attacks, stating that those responsible are enemies of freedom in Iraq.